Me Without You
by K8ofSpades
Summary: Things get increasingly confusing for everyone on the island when the arrival of Juliet and Sawyer's daughter from the future causes everyone,including Richard,to question their purpose.
1. Prologue

She tries to get up from the cold wet ground but she can't. Between the rain and the pain her limbs feel as if they have cinder blocks attached to them.

_Move your arm Julianna. _

_Just try and get yourself up off the ground. _

_Walk. You remember how to walk don't you? _

_Turnover and push yourself up. _

_Don't lie here like a moron and let the rain soak you to death. _

With one hand behind her head for support, she manages to gather enough strength to turn over and prop herself up on one knee.

_What the hell just happened? Where am I? _

She tries to settle her mind but, much like her body, she can't seem to do that either. She searches for a memory…a recollection….something that will remind her of how she got here or even where she came from. Wiping her hand across the front of her face, she looks down to see stark red contrasted against the paleness of her skin and the darkness of the muddy ground.

_A nosebleed….Great. _

It was something else to add to the pain, to the unknowing, and to the absolute nothingness which was all that surrounded her. She's in the middle of the jungle. She could be eaten, killed, or completely dismembered and no one would find her out here.

_Does anyone even know where I am? _

Repositioning her arms, she thinks she can push herself up off the ground, its worth at try. She makes to her feet and then it hits her like a bullet to the stomach. The blood trickles down over her lips, the pain pulsates from her eye to the back of her head, and the nausea settles in the pit of her stomach, threatening to push her organs out through her throat. Her legs buckle from underneath her and just as her mind begins to go black, her body falls into the strong arms of a stranger.

A/N: Thank you to those who have read this first little tidbit. Longer chapters are to follow; I just wanted to get this first little bit out of the way. This story has been turning in my mind for some time now and now that I am out of school for Christmas, I think it's time to get it down on paper. So comment if you wish and read on! Your favorite characters are coming I promise.


	2. Chapter 1: Wake Me Up Before You Go

Chapter 1: Wake Me Up Before You Go

Sound came in tidbits, as did moments of consciousness. Julianna would catch a door open here, a muffled voice there…nothing she could put together in coherent pieces.

It wasn't until she was able to keep her mind focused for more than a few seconds that she really felt the fog she had been stuck in slowly start to lift. Energy began to creep back into her body along with a vague awareness.

She was in a bed, her bed maybe. There was a wet towel over her face and her eyes. She could feel the cold air from the ceiling fan blow on her dry skin. A dream…maybe everything had just been a dream.

Thoughts of home and sleep induced illusions quickly faded when she felt caked dirt in her hair and remembered lying face down in the jungle. She slowly moved her hand up and pulled the cold compress away from her eyes, bringing in rays of twilight and more feelings of nausea.

She could feel her stomach turn but before she could get up a man ran into the room with another cold towel and a trashcan. There wasn't any time to protest his presence or even think; before she knew it she was leaning over the side of the bed heaving with her head in a trash can and her hair in this mysterious man's hands.

"It's okay; get it all out of your system" he chanted as his hand moved in soft circles around her back and sent shivers up her neck. She sat still for a moment, her breathing labored, before she finally turned to look at the man who had just seen been witness to her purging first impression.

He was of taller stature and extremely dark features. His shadowy eyes stared at her with a fearful intensity. She couldn't decide if he was worried for her or afraid of her.

"Where am I?"

"You're safe" he said dabbing a cold towel on her forehead and around the sides of her mouth.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Richard" he said, placing his hand softly on his chest. "I promise I am not going to hurt you."

Julianna sat up and moved back on the bed out of Richard's reach. "How did I get here?"

"I carried you here. I found you passed out in the middle of the jungle."

"How did I get there?"

Richard stared at Julianna for another moment as if he was trying to figure out what she knew from the lines in her face and the uneasiness in her eyes.

"There are some clothes over there on the dresser and a bathroom right on the other side of that door. Why don't you get cleaned up and meet me in the living room."

She threw her legs over the side of the bed and rubbed the back of her neck unsure of what to do. It didn't appear she really had a choice. She could dart past him and run, but where would she run to? She didn't even know where she was or how to get home from here.

"Okay." Julianna nodded to Richards's satisfaction. She watched as Richard walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Catching a glimpse of herself in a mirror before making it to the bathroom, she quickly came to the conclusion that she looked like absolute shit. Mud was caked in her long blonde hair and in all of her clothes. Her blue eyes stood out in contrast to her exceptionally filthy skin. Getting clean sounded pretty good in that moment. If she was about to die, at least she would enjoy the luxury of a hot shower first.

Wiping off steam from the mirror, Julianna grabbed the pair of jeans Richard set out which surprisingly fit her almost perfectly. She grabbed the black shirt off the bottom of the stack and slipped it over her head.

"Miami Central University Medical Research Center" she read from the front of the t-shirt. For some reason, she doubted she was anywhere near Miami. She wondered whose clothes she had on.

Julianna pulled her hair out the towel she had it wrapped in and combed her fingers through her hair before heading back into the bedroom. She cracked the bedroom door and caught Richard staring out the front window, lost in whatever it was he was contemplating. His focus was broken when he noticed her standing in the doorway.

"Feeling better?" Richard asked with genuine concern.

"Physically" she said with a half smile. "Mentally, I will be better once I know what the hell is going on." She walked over to couch and sat down, ready to plead for some answers.

She didn't have to though; it was Richard who quickly started talking. "I don't even know where to start" he said rubbing his eyes. "Do you remember anything before you woke up in the jungle?" he asked, staring at her once again.

"Absolutely nothing" she said, upset that she was clearly at a disadvantage in the information department.

She watched as Richard walked over to the kitchen counter and picked up what looked like a necklace. He walked over and held his hand in front of her before letting it fall through his fingers.

"You don't recognize this do you?"

Julianna took it her hands as the chain fell and examined it for a moment. Her eyes followed the silver chain all the way up to what appeared to a compass. Across the front of the casing was a small inscription.

"J –So you can always find your way home" Julianna read before looking up at Richard who was obviously hoping it was spark some sort of memory….it didn't.

She pushed the small dial on the side and the silver casing popped open to reveal an intricate compass sitting next to a picture of Julianna with her arms around a beautiful blonde woman. She looked happy and healthy, greatly contrasted to her current state. The woman with her looked happy as well. She had this woman's eyes.

"That's me, but who is this?" she asked, turning the compass so Richard could see it. Her initial feelings had moved from worry to absolute terror within a matter of moments. She didn't know why she was so scared, but her heart felt as if it was going to jump through her throat.

"That's your mother" Richard said.

She searched her mind from one side to other trying, in any way, to hunt down some sort of memory of this woman but she couldn't find it. There it was in picture proof and she couldn't remember. Tears threatened to fall, but she refused to let them.

She threw the locket back at Richard in an effort to distract him from seeing her red-rimmed eyes. "That's not my mother, I would recognize my mother."

"She hasn't given birth to you yet."

Those seven words hit her like a blow to the chest. "What do you mean she hasn't given birth to me yet? How the hell am I sitting here if I'm not even alive yet?"

"The island brought you here" Richard said stepping back in anticipation of a fierce reaction.

Julianna couldn't do anything but laugh. She stood up from the couch, crossed her arms and paced back and forth trying to make sense of the unimaginable.

"So let me get this straight…I am standing here in your living room in God knows where…"

"Island, you're on an island"

If look could kill Julianna's piercing glare would have cut Richard in half "I am standing here in your living room, on an island, but I am not really alive because I haven't even been born yet. I have this locket, which my mother gave to me, but it doesn't matter because I can't remember her and I can't remember her because the island brought me here from the future. Did I get all of that correct?"

"I know this whole thing sounds crazy but you were brought here for a purpose. It wasn't just circumstance.""

"What purpose?"

"Can you please sit down, you're making me nervous" Richard said, gesturing towards the couch. Julianna rolled her eyes and sat back down dropping her head in her hands. "Go ahead.'

"You're here because you have to save your mother"

Her eyes shot up to meet his. "Save her from what?"

"I don't know" Richard replied. He could see the hesitance and confusion in her face, so he walked over and sat down on the coffee table mere inches away from her. "I don't know all of the details Julianna, I wish I did but I don't. All I know is that you are here because the island's keeper, Jacob, believes in you and what you can do. If your mother dies, she can't ever give birth to you and that would keep you from fulfilling your purpose."

"Why do I have to be the one that saves her?"

"I wish I could tell you" he replied genuinely.

Julianna jumped up from her seat and walked towards the door cracking it open. "Well let's go talk to this Jacob and we can ask him his opinion on the whole situation."

Richard moved from the coffee table to the door in a matter of seconds. His body slammed the door shut and prevented Julianna from taking another step. "You can't speak to Jacob and you can't go out there. Nobody but me knows you're here and if they see you they will kill you."

"Who is they?"

Richard stared at the ceiling and then back down to the floor as if her incessant questioning was exhausting him.

"They are the people within this community. We control this island and if they knew you were here, they wouldn't understand. They would take you captive or worse kill you."

Julianna turned around and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. This was too much for one person to take. Her tears were no longer a threat… she couldn't hold them back any longer.

They streamed down her face leaving tracks of unanswered questions and her voice lost its earlier intensity. "Where is my mother?"

"A few months ago a plane crashed on the other side of the island. There is a group of survivors who set up camp there. Your mother was one of us but she fled with one of the survivors of the crash."

"What about my dad?" If her mother was on the island, surely her father would be too.

"All Jacob gave me was the locket. There wasn't any indication on it or from Jacob who your father was."

"Any they won't kill me?" she asked wiping tears from under her eyes.

"Not if you can convince them of who you are."

Realization sunk in. "My mother doesn't know me yet does she?"

"No, she doesn't" Richard replied, placing his hand on Julianna's shoulder as a gesture of support.

"Why didn't you kill me when you found me?" she asked walking away from him and taking a seat at the breakfast bar before she lost her footing.

"Because Jacob asked me to protect you."

"Do you have any idea how insane this whole scenario sounds? I don't know you but I have to trust what you're saying because I have no memory to go on though all of this sounds completely ridiculous."

Richard walked up to the bar and put his hand under Julianna's chin, lifting her eyes to his. "I know I can't tell you much, but I promise you I won't let anything happen to you" and Richard meant that. Jacob had given him strict instructions to keep her safe and he planned to see this through whether he had any idea about what was going on or not.

Julianna moved her face and Richard consequently let go of her chin. She didn't know why she let him touch her in the first place but for some strange reason she trusted him."What do we do now?"

"You'll have to wait here while I run to the main barracks. It's almost sun down and when it gets dark I will take you to the beach where your mother is. You'll be safer there than you will here. I grabbed a bag of her stuff from her house that you can take with you. You'll need clothes."

"Is this her shirt?" Julianna asked, smoothing out the wrinkles on the bottom of it.

"Yes. That's the research company she worked for. Your mother is an incredibly intelligent woman. We were lucky to have her."

"Why did she leave?"

"You sure do ask a lot of questions" Richard said snatching up a satchel from the floor.

"It should be expected from a chick with no memory."

"Touche" Richard replied smiling before checking the window near the door.

"There is food in the kitchen. You can't eat whatever you want just don't go outside" he warned with a life threatening sincerity. "Stay away from the windows as well. I will be back in an hour, be ready to go."

"One last question, I promise."

Richard nodded in exhausted approval.

"What her name, my mother's name?"

"Juliet…Juliet Burke."

Julianna nodded at Richard before he hurried out the door and locked it behind him.

A/N: Thank you so much to EvilEmi and eyeon for you kind reviews and to everyone else who took the time to read the Prologue. I know there wasn't much action in this first chapter, but I had to set the foundation for the rest of the story. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Keep on reviewing sending me your thoughts on things; I love hearing it! Special thinks to eyeon for your comment! I hadn't thought about Miles role in the story but I created a role for him I think your going to like.


	3. Chapter 2: Into the Fire

**A/N: Wow..wow..wow. It has been FOREVER since I have had the opportunity to work on this story and I am so incredibly sorry that it has taken me so long to update it. I've been so tied up with school and work that my writing has fallen to the wayside. Thank you to those who continue to review and to those who have encouraged and persuaded me to keep going. I have big plans for this story and it has been something that I have wanted to get on paper for the longest time. So stick with me, keep reviewing, and I promise you won't have to wait so long for the next installment. Thank you for reading!**

Chapter 2: Into The Fire

The dark plays tricks the sanest of minds. It makes you hear things that aren't there, see things that aren't real, and even if you really are all alone, fear of the unknowing still manages to creep its way deep into your chest.

It was pitch black inside of Richard's house, aside from the rays that were being put off by his front porch light that peeked through the curtains. Richard held tight to Julianna's arm as he watched Ben Linus, the compounds leader, open his front door and swiftly close it behind him

"Okay…its time."

Richard quickly pulled Julianna off of his front porch and into center of the barracks. She took a look around as they made their way past park benches and into the tree line. If she didn't know any better she would have thought she was in the middle of the suburbs. There were small yellow houses everywhere with front porches, wind chimes, and flower boxes. She even thought she saw a playground in the distance.

Once they made into the woods Richard turned around and thrust a gun into her hand. "You're going to need this. Keep it close to you and don't shoot unless I give you the go ahead."

She nodded her head; she had never shot a gun before as far as she knew, though the cold metal felt familiar in her hand.

"How far away are we from where my mother is?" Julianna asked stepping over a raised root in the ground.

"Not too far away. We will get there around morning."

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Can I stop you?" Richard said turning around and smiling at her. His eyes were full of pain but his smile was warm and trusting at the same time. She had a feeling that he didn't do it too often.

"You said that the others in your camp don't know about me. Where will they think you've gone?"

"Worried about me are you?" he asked which caused her to blush and Richard to laugh. He kept his head forward but continued to talk. "They think that I am going to check on the crash survivors."

"Are they dangerous?"

"I don't think so. We know they are too curious for their own good. We are just unsure of their intentions."

"Is my Mom a good person?" Julianna was still immensely troubled by the fact that she had no memories of the woman whose picture hung around her neck. She turned the compass in her hands and popped it open to look at the picture once more.

"She is a good person. She actually came to the island to help people." Richard said stepping around a coconut tree.

"Did she?"

"She did to the best of her ability."

Richard's ambiguity was beginning to bother her. "You aren't going to tell me anything are you?"

She could hear hesitance in the way that he sighed. "There are things about this island that you wouldn't understand; I don't even fully understand them and I've lived here a long time. As of right now, I think the less information you know, the safer you are."

Julianna figured that she would have to be content with what Richard had to offer her in that moment. She figured she should be grateful that he hadn't tried to kill her. Stepping through the wet leaves Julianna stumbled when she felt the stick of a sharp object under her foot.

"Hold on Richard, I think I have a rock in my shoe." She reached up to steady herself on a nearby tree before a wave of nausea hit. Her mind and eyes went dark very quickly and all of sudden they were illuminated by a very bright light. Struggling to focus, she finally saw herself. There she was walking down a dark path behind Richard. If she didn't know any better she would say it was the same exact path they were just on. Coming through the woods and up behind this projection of herself was a man that greatly outsized both she and Richard. His face was passive and relaxed though his eyes burned from underneath his gray bangs. His expression changed to angry when he saw that Richard wasn't alone.

She tried to stop him from whatever it was he was about to do but she couldn't move or speak. She was forced to watch as this man walked up behind her and wrapped what look like belt around her throat.

"Who is she?" she heard the older man scream. Richard tried to reason with him but it was to no avail. He dragged her back through the woods towards the camp they just departed from. Richard went to reach for something in his pocket but once again the darkness crept in and she was back in the woods with one hand on the tree and another on her shoe.

"Richard" she said quickly looking behind her to make sure that no one was following them. She placed her hand on his arm to catch his attention and when she did his eyes went blank for a moment. He came out of his thoughts and grabbed her quickly, moving her behind a tree to where she couldn't be seen.

"Stay quiet" he said and walked back out onto the path. She hadn't been hidden for more than a few seconds when she heard a big busty voice break the silence.

"Richard!" the older man said reaching his hand out.

"Tom" he replied quickly, taking his hand before accessing his face for any reason as to why he would have followed him out into the woods.

"You forgot your walkie."Relief overtook Richard as he took the little black radio from Tom's hand.

"Ben said, if you can catch her alone, to make sure you remind Julie to send him a report on Kwan. He didn't get a tape from her yesterday."

"I will Tom, thanks." He had forgotten that Ben had asked Juliet to keep an eye on one of the plane crash survivors who had gotten pregnant on the island. To the best of Richards knowledge, there hadn't ever been pregnant woman had ever made it to term on the island.

"Are you sure you're okay man? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah I am. I just thought you were one of them."

"All the way out here?" he said laughing, too sure that their compound was untouchable. If Tom only knew what Richard was doing he would have had him tried and excommunicated from the group. "They'll never find us out here. As long as they behave, we won't ever have to deal with them."

"You're absolutely right" Richard said nodding and looking out into the jungle.

"Are you sure you're alright man? Do you want me to go?" Tom asked, examining Richard's worrisome face.

"No, No. I am fine. Thanks for the radio" he said throwing Tom an encouraging smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Tom evaluated Richard a little longer before turning to go. "See you then" he said, waving and walking back towards camp. The minute he was out of sight Richard walked over and pulled Julianna from the ground. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I am fine. Who was that?"

"That was Tom. How in the hell did you do that?" wasting no time inquiring as to what had taken place between the two of them. All Jacob had said was that Richard needed to watch over Julianna because she was special and here to save Juliet…he said nothing about her having any sort of powers.

"You saw it didn't you? You saw him grab me and drag me into the woods!"

"How did you do it?"

"I don't know. I just touched the tree and then touched you before your eyes went all hazy."

"Can you do it again?"

"I don't know." Julianna stared at Richard for a moment, paralyzed by her own fear. She took a step forward and placed her hand on Richard's arm after taking a deep breath….nothing. She let out the breath she was holding.

"Just channel all of your energy Julianna, you can do it?"

She nodded her head, still unsure of what kind of vision she was searching for. Juliana closed her eyes and surprised Richard when she stepped forward and placed both of her hands on his cheeks. If was touch that triggered it, she figured the more intimate the touch, the more powerful the energy. She waited for a moment. She thought about Tom and Ben, thinking maybe it would pull some sort of vision from her mind. Seconds pasts though, and nothing happened.

She let her hand fall from Richard's face awkwardly and looked down at the inside of her palms. Whatever happened had obviously happened for a reason and wasn't meant to happen again in that moment.

"I don't understand what just happened and I know that you don't either. I think it would in your best interest not to tell anyone about this. People don't get what they don't understand. They are already going be curious as to where you came from, no reason to give them any other reason to be afraid."

"I'm afraid…" she said looking at him for some sort of reassurance.

"Please don't be scared Julianna. I told you I would protect you. I would keep you closer if I thought you would be safe with me but you won't, not back there. They would find you and there is no telling what they would if they found out that you had any sort of power. They'd run tests, experiments… You're safer on the beach with them. Juliet will protect you."

Julianna nodded her head, though she still wasn't convinced. Richard offered his hand in an effort to sooth her nerves and she took it. He gave her a reassuring smile and led her deeper into the dark jungle.

Julianna clung tight to Richards hand through most of the long hike to the survivor's camp. She wasn't sure how he managed to navigate his way through the jungle at night, but he seemed to move with ease. He worked to keep her distracted with stories of the islands history and the identification of what landmarks they could see with the small beam of light Richard's flashlight let off. Just as the sun began to come up over the islands mountains, Richard stopped haphazardly.

"I can't go any further or they'll see me."

"What? You can't leave now, I'm not ready" she pleaded in a panicked tone. Then again, she didn't think there was anything that could prepare her for having to face a mother that wouldn't even know who she was.

"You're going to be fine," Richard said before dropping to the ground. He picked up her foot and slipped a piece of paper into the bottom of her shoe. "On that piece of paper is a map to a place about half a mile from here. Meet me there before the sun comes up tomorrow. Where is the gun I gave you?" Julianna quickly reached around and pulled it from her back pocket. Richard stood back up and took the pistol from her hands. "They are going to search you when they find you. I don't want them to think that you are a threat. Right through that tree line is the survivor's camp and Juliet's tent is on the outside ring. Get to her first," he said picking Julianna's bag off the ground and handing it to her.

"I'll try."

"You will," he added in an effort to calm her apparent nerves. "Go straight through the tree line… Don't deviate."

"I won't" she replied, turning towards the sun and looking into the heart of her growing fear. She looked back at Richard who watched her as a shepherd would his endangered sheep. Yet again she took Richard by surprise when she jumped up and hugged him tightly and quickly before letting him go. "Thank you, for bringing me out here. You could have just as easily left me in the jungle. I appreciate it assuming I don't get stabbed or shot by these people."

Richard let out a laugh under his breath that made Julianna smile. "I told you, you are going to be fine. Don't forget sunrise tomorrow," he added in a warning tone. " and please be careful and aware. Don't touch anyone if you can help it and try to keep your mind clear. I will see what I can find out before tomorrow and we will figure out what's going on."

"Until tomorrow" she said with emphasis on the last word in that statement. She felt safer knowing she would at least see him in the morning. She nodded and waved half heartedly before heading into the tree line. Once she got deep enough in, she began to hear voices. Moving closer, the camp came into view. It was composed of many different tents and shacks made from many different materials. She had no idea how she would spot her mother's tent until she saw a blonde woman emerge from a canopy on the outskirts of the well constructed living quarters. Even from far away, Julianna could tell that was her. Though younger than the woman in the picture she clasped in her hand, the crystal blue of her eyes could be seen from where Julianna stood. As Juliet stepped out and stretched her arms up over her head in an attempt to wake up, Julianna contemplated just how to get her attention. She didn't have long to think before she felt the sharp edge of a knife lightly come across her back.

She turned to find a rugged man with tousled hair standing so close to her that he could have cut her throat with one swoop of his knife. "What do you think you're doing Nancy Drew?" he asked in a southern accent that made her feel anything but welcome.


End file.
